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US 6,914,914 B1Granted
System and method for multi-chassis configurable time synchronization
AssigneeRockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
InventorsMark Flood, Anatoly Moldovansky, Anthony Cachat, Kenwood Hall
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Abstract
Systems and methods are disclosed for time synchronization of operations in a control system. Synchronization networks and devices are provided for transferring synchronization information between controllers in a distributed or localized control system, which is employed in order to allow operation of such controllers to be synchronized with respect to time. Also disclosed are synchronization protocols and hardware apparatus employed in synchronizing control operations in a control system.
Claims40
A time synchronization system for an industrial control system, comprising:
- a synchronization network providing a communications channel for transferring synchronization information between first and second controllers in the control system, at least one of the first and second controllers comprises a control chassis with a control module therein;
- and
- first and second synchronization components operatively associated with the first and second controllers, respectively, and having synchronization interfaces in electrical communication with the synchronization network for transferring the synchronization information between the first and second synchronization components via the synchronization network;
- the first and second synchronization components cooperatively exchange the synchronization information with each other and provide the synchronization information to the first and second controllers, respectively, whereby the first and second controllers operate in temporal synchronization;
- at least one of the first and second synchronization components comprises a synchronization module located in the control chassis, the synchronization module provides the synchronization information from the synchronization network to other modules in the control chassis, whereby the other modules in the control chassis and the other of the first and second controllers operate in temporal synchronization.
2 more elements
A time synchronization system for synchronizing controllers in a control system, comprising:
- first and second synchronization components operatively associated with first and second controllers, respectively, and in electrical communication with a network, at least one of the first and second controllers comprises a control chassis, which comprises a control module;
- the first synchronization component transfers synchronization information to the second synchronization component via the synchronization network, whereby the first and second controllers operate in temporal synchronization;
- at least one of the first and second synchronization components comprises a synchronization module located in the control chassis, the synchronization module provides the synchronization information from the synchronization network to other modules in the control chassis to facilitate temporally synchronizing the other modules in the control chassis and the other of the first and second controllers.
A method for temporally synchronizing controllers in a control system, comprising:
- providing a communications channel for transferring synchronization information between first and second controllers in the control system, wherein providing a communications channel comprises associating the first and second controllers with first and second synchronization components, respectively, and providing a synchronization network interconnecting the first and second synchronization components;
- transferring synchronization information between the first and second controllers via the communications channel, wherein transferring synchronization information comprises transferring synchronization information from the first synchronization component to the first controller, transferring the synchronization information from the first synchronization component to the second synchronization component using the synchronization network, and transferring the synchronization from the second synchronization component to the second controller;
- operating the first and second controllers in temporal synchronization using the synchronization information.
A synchronization system for synchronizing operation of first and second control devices in first and second control chassis in an industrial control system, the synchronization system comprising:
- a network providing a communications channel for transferring synchronization information between the first and second controllers in the first and second chassis;
- and
- first and second synchronization components operatively associated with the first and second controllers, respectively, and having synchronization interfaces in electrical communication with the network for transferring the synchronization information between the first and second synchronization components, at least one of the first and second synchronization components comprises a synchronization module located in at least one of the first and second control chassis;
- the first and second synchronization components cooperatively exchange the synchronization information with each other and provide the synchronization information to the first and second controllers, respectively, and wherein the first and second controllers operate in temporal synchronization according to the synchronization information;
- the synchronization module provides the synchronization information from the synchronization network to other modules in at least one of the first and second control chassis, whereby the other modules and at least one of the first and second controllers operate in temporal synchronization.
2 more elements
A system for temporally synchronizing controllers in a control system, comprising:
- means for providing a communications channel for transferring synchronization information between first and second controllers in the control system, at least one of the first and second controllers comprises a control chassis with a control module therein;
- means for transferring synchronization information between the first and second controllers via the communications channel, utilizing a synchronization module located in the control chassis, the synchronization module provides the synchronization information from the synchronization network to other modules in the control chassis;
- and
- means for operating the first and second controllers in temporal synchronization using the synchronization information.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.